1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 48

That night, at 1:33 AM.

The 3rd Regiment of the 27th Division of the National Defense Forces received an order and then quickly issued it for execution.

"Seventh Company Commander, this matter is yours to handle. The Japanese bodies have already been delivered to the camp gate. Find a few Japanese military uniforms, put them on, throw them next to the railway, and then use explosives to blast a few craters. Just don't actually blow up the railway. You don't need to worry about the rest!"

Company Commander Luo Ming of the Seventh Company received a baffling order from the regimental headquarters: dump the corpses and blow up a few craters. What kind of combat mission was this? He thought he could make a great contribution.

All the other units in the regiment had already received their ammunition and entered a state of combat readiness. They were about to have a combat mission, but the regimental commander sent their company to do this nonsensical thing. It's really hard to understand what the higher-ups were thinking.

But military orders are absolute, and Lieutenant Luo Ming had no room for negotiation; he could only strictly follow them.

Two hours later, at 3:35 a.m., a violent explosion occurred near the National Defense Army barracks outside Shenyang, on the Liutiaohu railway section.

Just five minutes after the incident, Chinese troops arrived at the scene and found the bodies of several Japanese ronin dressed in civilian clothes. Fortunately, they had red sun banners on their foreheads, symbolizing Japan. Chinese officers immediately concluded that this was a terrorist attack launched by Japanese militarists within Chinese territory.

Subsequently, the 27th and 29th Divisions of the National Defense Army immediately took over various stations of the South Manchurian Railway by force, gaining control of the entire railway.

At dawn, railway workers along the northern section of the Chinese Eastern Railway inexplicably acquired weapons and equipment of unknown origin. As day broke out, the first proletarian revolution broke out, overthrowing the railway management agency established by imperialist Russia, taking over the entire railway, declaring their support for the revolutionary propositions of the Renaissance Party, and declaring that the northern section of the Chinese Eastern Railway belonged to the broad masses of working people and the proletariat, thus breaking away from the control of Tsarist Russia!

Two militia divisions under the National Defense Army immediately moved into various stations along the northern railway line and took control of the railway. Wu Zifu of the Revival Party and elder Jean Sinor immediately telegraphed their support for this proletarian revolutionary action!

On May 18, 1907, the Chinese army launched simultaneous operations on both the northern and southern lines of the Chinese Eastern Railway, sounding the prelude to war.

During the "suppression of terrorist activities," the National Defense Forces "accidentally" injured more than 700 "innocent" people along the Japanese railway lines and Japanese residents.

Subsequently, under the pretext of identifying terrorists, strict armed control was imposed on Japanese expatriate communities and major Japanese institutions after daybreak. All Japanese in the Tohoku region were required to report to designated reform camps within a specified time!

On the 19th, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued its strongest warning and its foreign affairs representative stationed in Beijing urgently requested a meeting with Zhao Yan, but was refused.

On the 20th, the Russians, having realized what was happening, also issued a strong protest, but it was limited to verbal protests and they did not take military action. This was because the Russians had not received a huge amount of British aid loans, and they only wanted to watch from the sidelines and did not have the strength to directly engage in a major war.

Furthermore, the proletarian revolution that broke out on the Russian-controlled railway in the north also spread to Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, and other places. Jean Sinor lied to Zhao Yan. The trade union he organized was not limited to the Chinese Eastern Railway, but had influence throughout Northeast China and the Russian-controlled areas of Outer Manchuria. A large number of Russian workers took up arms in response to the call for revolution.

The Russians were preoccupied with their own problems and could only temporarily set aside the railway issue, focusing instead on extinguishing the flames of the proletarian revolution in the Far East.

On the 21st, the British also issued their strongest diplomatic condemnation, accusing the Chinese government of illegally seizing foreigners' legitimate assets under fabricated terrorism charges, and warning the Republican government to pull back from the brink, immediately return the railway, and conduct a thorough investigation into the incident!

The temporary diplomatic representatives of various countries sat outside the gates of the Forbidden City in Beijing and refused to leave, insisting on meeting Zhao Yan to demand an explanation and handling of the incident.

But Zhao Yan simply couldn't be found, until the intelligence department vaguely reported that Zhao Yan seemed to have left Beijing and arrived in the Northeast.

Both Britain and Japan believed the message, but at the same time, they relaxed their vigilance.

It turns out that Zhao Yan has been quiet for so long just to secure two railways, and he even went so far as to personally plan them. This is truly petty!

It's just two railways. Neither Britain nor Japan cares too much about them. Even if they were given to you now, you wouldn't be able to hold onto them. Once the Allied forces are assembled, the attack at the end of August will be launched soon. At that time, you'll have to give back what you took in!

Britain and Japan were initially alarmed because a large number of Chinese troops were approaching the Yalu River. Both Britain and Japan thought that the Chinese were about to launch an attack, that the Chinese had seen through their attack plan, and that they intended to strike first.

However, after hearing the news that Zhao Yan had arrived at the northeastern front, both countries were relieved.

Since modern times, there has never been a monarch or leader personally leading an expedition to the front lines; such an event has not occurred for almost a hundred years since Napoleon.

Given the typical behavior of Chinese emperors, they would only leave the capital when fleeing; no one ever considered the idea of ​​personally leading an expedition.

If Britain and Japan put themselves in each other's shoes, they would know that in the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War, which war did not have moments of crisis? At that time, the Emperor never had the idea of ​​personally leading the troops into battle.

They didn't believe that a Chinese leader would have such courage, and thought it was just a political show put on by Zhao Yan to consolidate his prestige.

Especially after confirming that the Chinese troops stationed near the Yalu River were just a group of amateur second-line engineering units, Britain and Japan became even more convinced that this was a political stunt.

However, the Anglo-Japanese Allied Forces also intensified their war efforts. The Japanese could no longer wait for the slow movements of other countries' armies. After obtaining permission from Britain, the Japanese army sent four additional standing divisions into Korea.

Prior to this, only two permanent Japanese divisions were stationed in Korea. The Japanese believed that this was enough to scare away the Chinese leader Zhao Yan. However, they did not know that in waiting for the arrival of the multinational coalition, the Japanese had already missed three precious months.

On the 24th, after learning that the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had announced the deployment of four additional permanent divisions to North Korea, the Japanese National Defense Forces responded by deploying four reorganized divisions to the Yalu River defense line and simultaneously blocking land routes to the Liaodong Peninsula.

On the 25th, five standing divisions stationed in Beijing rapidly advanced to the Northeast along the Beijing-Shenyang Railway. The Northeast garrison, armed police, and militia divisions entered a state of full combat readiness and began to pour into the front lines.

At the same time, the Second and Sixth Divisions of the South began to forcefully enter the concession areas and control the concession areas in Wuhan, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Shanghai and other places. The Northern Fleet, mainly composed of the remnants of the Beiyang Fleet, announced that it would conduct exercises and began to lay a large number of minefields in the Bohai Strait. A large number of torpedo boats were found to be active in the Bohai Sea. The international situation suddenly became extremely tense.

Both Britain and Japan were caught off guard. They didn't understand what the Chinese wanted to do. Did they really have the courage to launch an attack?

Chapter 88 If the enemy can go, I can go too!

May 28, 1907, Shenyang, inside the Führer's headquarters.

Zhao Yan summoned his generals to make final battle plans. All thirty-six kneelings had been performed; only this last tremor remained.

Zhao Yan's expression was very serious. Pointing to the large map, he looked at the group of generals and made final arrangements:

"I have decided to declare war on Britain and Japan at 3:00 AM the day after tomorrow!"

"At 3:30, the front must launch an unprecedented large-scale offensive against North Korea. By daybreak, we must have entered the Korean Peninsula. If we get through, there will be hope, and victory will be possible!"

“以1、3、10、11、12、13七个甲种师为前锋，从安东至延边一线，全线进攻朝鲜！”

"The main force of the western offensive will be the 1st and 3rd Divisions, which will be responsible for the main attack on the Uiju direction in Korea. The 21st Engineer Division will provide you with offensive support for this battle. The ferry boats, planks and other equipment needed to build the pontoon bridge are also ready. There are also German engineering advisors to assist you."

There's only one small canal on the Yalu River. If you can cross it, you'll be an ace. If you can't, your permanent division designation will be revoked, and you'll be reclassified as a regular division!

After crossing the Yalu River, we will advance south to attack Anju in North Korea. Further orders will follow after Anju is captured!

The commanders of the 1st and 3rd Divisions blushed, and many other division commanders looked over, also envious of the designation of the standing reorganized divisions.

"Please rest assured, Your Excellency, even if our two divisions are wiped out, even if we are all dead, we will build a bridge with our corpses so that our brother units can cross the Yalu River!"

"Please, Your Majesty, retract your statement about canceling our unit designations. Our standing divisions are all elites; if we can't win, it means we're all dead. There's no need to cancel our unit designations!"

Zhao Yan nodded: "You have high morale. Once we cross the Yalu River, I'll give you canned food!"

"The main force of the central offensive, consisting of the 10th and 11th Divisions, will launch an attack from the Kuandian area, cross the Yalu River, and wade through the towering mountains and steep ridges along the way. We must take the lead and capture Changjin County within seven days!"

"The main force of the eastern offensive, mainly composed of the 12th and 13th Divisions, will launch an attack from the Tumen and Hunchun areas to attack the Hamgyong Province area of ​​North Korea. The action must be swift, and we must not be greedy for small gains. We must fight relentlessly and relentlessly all the way, and advance as far south as we can!"

"The first batch of main forces participating in the exhibition are your six elite standing divisions. Although you have not trained your troops as before, you only need to use them for a short time! Show the spirit and courage of the National Defense Force and let the great powers see the bravery and fearlessness of Chinese soldiers."

After you advance, fifteen divisions of the infrastructure corps will continuously enter North Korea. Don't be afraid of what's behind you; behind you are endless fraternal troops and a motherland that will never retreat!

"The core of the first phase of the campaign is infiltration, desperate infiltration. After the western and central armies capture Andong and Changjin County, they should immediately converge on the central route to encircle the main force of the Japanese 6th Division stationed in this area. We must wipe them out at any cost!"

"The Eastern Route Army, as a support force, will advance south at the fastest speed, open up the Yaode-Yangde area, press close to Pyongyang, and entangle the main force of the Japanese Third Division, creating conditions for the other two routes and the main force to encircle and annihilate the Sixth Division!"

"Within seven days, the vanguard must complete an impenetrable encirclement. Within seven days, all the follow-up troops must cross the river and enter Korea to fight. The Japanese army currently has only two divisions on the Korean Peninsula, with a force of about 40,000 men!"

"If our army of 500,000 men cannot defeat these 40,000 Japanese soldiers, then there is no point in fighting!"

"In the first phase of the operation, we should try our best to encircle and annihilate one Japanese division. If that's not possible, then we should severely damage two of their divisions! The front line must be pushed to the Seoul line!"

We only have one month, that's the most time we can give you. After a month, the Allied forces will wake up from their dream and soon they will send a steady stream of troops to Korea. They can get there by boat much faster than we can walk.

Within a month, we must advance to the Seoul front and begin constructing an impregnable defensive line, capable of both offense and defense!

After arranging the main force divisions' tasks on the map, Zhao Yan began to arrange the combat tasks of the second-class divisions. He clearly explained how many second-class divisions would be deployed to support each attacking force in each direction, as well as the direction of advance, main tasks, and timeframes for each second-class division.

The operations staff even used small flags representing the participating troops to demonstrate the route on the map, so that every division commander would remember it.

In order to maintain the secrecy of the battle plan to the greatest extent, Zhao Yan chose to announce it directly at this time. Before this, there was not even a basic battle document, precisely to prevent another leak.

All the combat operations seemed very mediocre, even terrible, but they were reliable and simple. There were no surprises or winning strategies, only steady and methodical attacks with superior numbers. Although they were not perfect, at least they would not lose.

Zhao Yan clearly and concisely arranged the tasks for each participating division, leaving no room for ambiguity. The task content, time, and even the route were all clearly defined. Completion meant victory, and failure meant defeat.

There was absolutely no room for subordinates to shift blame; everyone was clearly assigned a role.

This is also a major characteristic of Zhao Yan's military command. He doesn't know which of his generals is smart and which is stupid, so he simply uses the stupidest one as the standard (not Wang Chongshan!). He uses the best way to deal with stupid people, so he doesn't let them come up with any clever ideas, but just tells them to do things clearly and directly.

Before the tough battles are over, Zhao Yan has no way of distinguishing his talented generals based on their daily performance. After the battles are over, if any geniuses emerge, he will give them the greatest opportunity to perform.

But at least for now, we have to do as he says.

"Gentlemen, the fate of the Republic rests on this battle!"

"In this battle, our motherland needs every man to fight to the death!"

"If we win this battle, I will never let anyone down; if we lose, I, Zhao Yan, will bear all the blame!"

"This is the first time in a century that we have taken the initiative to rise up in resistance, instead of waiting for the enemy's sword to fall before fleeing in panic. This time, we are carrying the shame of our motherland for the past fifty years and the hope for the next fifty years."

Four hundred million people have been eagerly awaiting this moment. We have squeezed out every last penny, emptied every last warehouse, and borrowed every last cent, all for this very moment.

I don't know what formidable enemy we are about to face, but I know that no one can bring us to our knees!

Zhao Yan slammed his fist on the table, making a dull thud. He looked up and surveyed everyone present.

"In this battle, I stand with you all. If you perish, Zhao Yan will perish; if you die, Zhao Yan will die!"

"We must show those foreigners what it means to be united in hatred against a common enemy, and what it means to fight to the death!"

"We want to tell those people that times have changed!"

"The enemy can go, so can I!"

All the generals present had bloodshot eyes, their morale soaring to near MAX, and they all stood at attention, pounding their right fists on their chests: "Long live the Han Dynasty! Revive the Han!"

At this moment, Zhao Yan's role on the front line became apparent. Although his command ability was only so-so, he was at least able to provide positive and accurate deployments, preventing the attack from becoming a mess.

None of the frontline generals dared to make any small plans, because Zhao Yan was right behind them, and anyone who dared to show the slightest cowardice would immediately face swift and severe punishment.

Where Zhao Yan is, everyone has a pillar of support, feels no confusion, and has no hesitation about victory, because their leader is right behind them.

Zhao Yan stood up and said proudly, "Go tell the enemy that I, Zhao Yan, am right here, and I will only move forward. I, Zhao Yan, will never retreat an inch!"

Go tell my loyal soldiers that I am right beside them all, and that they should fight bravely and attack. I have placed all my hopes on them!

Defeat does not belong to glorious China; the great Han people are never afraid of death and bloodshed!

That night, the generals rushed to their respective units. News of the leader being at the front gradually spread throughout the army. The leader would lead them to conquer Korea and reclaim everything that belonged to them. The promised land and gold and silver treasures were within their grasp, and all they had to do was kill the enemy in front of them.

The army, which had been somewhat panicked and tense, instantly transformed into fervor and excitement. With the leader here, victory in this battle was assured!

On the north bank of the Yalu River, the army erupted in thunderous shouts in the dead of night. The National Defense Army made no attempt to conceal its presence, and units began to converge on the north bank.

The Japanese troops on the opposite bank were shocked. The Chinese actually wanted to launch an offensive! Such a large-scale troop movement could not be kept secret. When units appeared on the north bank of the Yalu River, looking at the south bank with bloodthirsty eyes, everything began to enter the countdown.

The Japanese army began to urgently dispatch troops to reinforce the Jiang'an defense line, but the British and Japanese allied forces had not made any defense plans at all. They were not prepared to defend against the Chinese army, and they never expected that the Chinese army would take the initiative to attack.

The temporarily deployed troops were still gathering supplies and preparing to break camp, but the National Defense Army had already entered the offensive positions and begun preparing to launch the attack.

On the afternoon of the 29th, news of the general mobilization of the National Defense Forces and their readiness to launch an attack spread almost throughout the world.

The original 100,000-plus second-line troops along the Yalu River could be kept secret, but with hundreds of thousands more suddenly appearing, it's impossible to hide them anymore.

Britain and Japan began to issue stern warnings to China, demanding the lifting of the general mobilization order, the withdrawal of troops, and the restoration of the status quo, indicating that they were willing to negotiate on all sovereignty issues.

But the war was already in its final countdown, and the Republican government completely ignored the demands of Britain and Japan. In Tokyo and London, Chinese representatives stood guard outside the gates of the two governments, holding document bags in their hands. It was obvious what was inside those document bags without even looking.

The whole world was amazed by the Chinese people's determination; no one would have thought that the Chinese would take the initiative to fight.

Chapter 89 Declaration of War

May 30, 1907, London, England, in front of the Prime Minister's residence.

It was already night, but British Prime Minister Henry Bannerman was still not off work, and even the Foreign Secretary was in his office waiting for the other shoe to drop.

In all the years the British have traversed the globe, they have never seen a declaration of war like this. Two days in advance, the other side's representatives are already loitering outside your Prime Minister's residence with a declaration of war in hand.

You know perfectly well what the other person's purpose is and what they are holding, but you just can't bring yourself to ask or urge them!

"These lunatics! What do they want? No country's representatives have ever strolled outside my Prime Minister's residence with a declaration of war. This is the heart of the British Empire, not a stage for clowns!"

Bannerman was so angry that he abandoned even the most basic political composure and launched into a tirade of abuse in front of his subordinates.

At that moment, the secretary ran over: "Your Excellency, the King has called to inquire whether the war has broken out yet?"

Upon hearing this, Bannerman angrily walked to the window, pulled back the curtains, pointed to the black four-wheeled carriage parked in the distance, and said, "Don't ask me, go out and find the Chinese people in that carriage and ask them!"

After closing the curtains, Bannerman sat back down and asked, "Why am I supposed to wait here for their declaration of war? Can't our army defeat those yellow-skinned monkeys?"

The generals replied, "I'm sorry, Your Excellency the Prime Minister! The Chinese determination to wage war has exceeded our expectations. The Allied forces originally planned to launch an offensive, but we did not expect the Chinese to launch their attack more than a year earlier than our intelligence analysis had predicted!"

"Currently, the Allied forces are still adrift at sea. The only force capable of waging war on the Korean Peninsula is the Japanese army, but there are only two divisions."

The Japanese are currently mobilizing more troops to land on the Korean Peninsula, but it is clear that both we and the Japanese need time. We have to admit that the Chinese have caught us off guard.

Our best course of action now is to continue to lull the Chinese into a false sense of security and buy more time for war preparations.

Bannerman extended his hand and said, “This is fantastic. The British Empire is about to be drawn into a new war in South Africa, but this time we don’t have to face a mere million Boers, but rather four hundred million Chinese.”

"My God, there aren't that many people in all of Europe! I warned you all, but not one of you listened! You fools all think the capital ships can sail all the way to Beijing!"

During the conversation, the secretary burst in again: "Mr. Prime Minister..."

Bannerman said, clearly annoyed, "What is it now? Doesn't our King need to sleep at night?"

The secretary said, "It's not His Majesty the King, but that carriage. The people inside have gotten off and are requesting to see you, or the Foreign Minister!"

"Alright, the other boot has finally been unfurled!" Bannerman stood up, straightened his sleeves, and waved his hand, saying, "Please let him in!"